Dalgleish flies in for a three-timer
Keith Dalgleish, who rode Yavana’s Pace into third place in the Grade One Canadian International at Woodbine, Toronto, last night jetted back to his native Scotland and took the riding honours with a 19-1 treble at Hamilton today.
He is enjoying his best season, and successes on his boss Mark Johnston’s Night Mist in the D M Hall Median Auction Maiden Stakes, Robandela in the Tote Buttonhook Rated Stakes and Fresh As A Rose in the Westcars Saab Finale Maiden Stakes took his score to 68.
Night Mist gave a four-length beating to Lexi’s Hoss, ironically partnered by Kevin Darley who had accompanied Dalgleish on the trip across the Atlantic and who won the E P Taylor Stakes on Ed Dunlop’s Fraulein.
However, Darley whose mount Square Dancer had bolted and was withdrawn from the Sam Collingwood-Cameron Conditions Stakes, later felt exhausted and gave up his rides in the last two races.
Night Mist is owned and was bred by her owners Gary and Lesley Middlebrook, whose Love Everlasting won a Listed race at Ascot on Friday, and the former said: “Night Mist’s dam Night Mirage also won here for us and we have get her yearling full brother.”
Robandela took up the running over a furlong out and stayed on well to beat Tandavia by one and a quarter lengths, and Johnston’s representative Bobby Elliott said: “Robandela broke his pelvis earlier in his career and his owner Robert Aird believes that as a result for some reason the horse seems happier on right-handed tracks.”
Fresh As A Rose, formerly trained in Ireland by Tommy Stack, was having her first run for Johnston and opened her account for the Middleham trainer in convincing fashion.
Dalgleish said: “I had three hours sleep on the overnight flight back and I must admit I am feeling a bit tired now. But it was a great experience to ride over there and Yavana’s Pace ran a great race, especially for a 10-year-old in a Grade One.”
It had been touch and go whether the members of the Highlife Racing Club would make it to the Scottish course in time to see B A Highflyer win the Gerard Removers Hamilton Park 2-Y-O Final Nursery in the hands of Chris Catlin.
B A Highflyer, trained by Mick Channon was also a winner over the course and distance earlier in the season, and it would have been embarrassing if those members had not arrived after two flights from Heathrow had to be cancelled.
Because all 20 members are either currently employed or have been employed by British Airways, and spokesman John Williams said: “This is the first horse the group has had, and it was always the plan to come for the final.
“Hamilton is a super course, the hospitality is great and we are now going to hit the champagne.”
Catlin was suspended for one day (October 9) for not riding to his draw, but he went on to complete a 55-1 double when teaming up with the Andy Turnell stable for the first time on Adamas in the second division of Newton Fund Management Ltd Handicap.
Turnell has a team of 12 on the Flat and five jumpers and reflecting on what might have been said with a wry smile: “Our best horse Jelani broke down after beating Bollin Eric at Haydock so we might have won a St Leger.
“Hopefully he will come back, but it won’t be until next autumn and all being well the Arc will be the target.”
Seb Sanders still has an outside chance of taking the jockeys’ championship, and he took his score to 106 when the Peter Makin-trained Spencers Wood justified the odds of 1-14 laid on him in the Sam Collingwood-Cameron Conditions Stakes.
He made rather harder work of it than the betting suggested he might, but Makin’s travelling head lad Mark Rowlands explained: “The horse is bone idle at home and on the racecourse and Seb said he got half a length in front and then thought he had done enough.
“Our horses seem top have shaken off the virus and are starting to run a lot better.”
Kim Tinkler and her husband Nigel teamed up to win the first division of the Newton Fund Management Ltd Handicap with Cryfield who was following up a recent victory at Beverley.
